It was instinct, says Mathew Ryan of his super save from Mo Salah

Mathew Ryan has revealed how he acted on instinct to deny Mo Salah a “FIFA goal” in front of the Kop.

But he would have loved to have been a bit less busy as Liverpool ran Albion ragged.

The Aussie No.1 saved from the clean through Sadio Mane in the first half and Roberto Firmino in the second.

But the pick of his various stops came at 1-0 when he denied Salah after Liverpool had broken through.

Mane, already denied by the keeper in a one-on-one, this time looked to draw him close and tee up Salah for a tap-in.

But Ryan got across to smother the Egyptian’s shot and his follow-up was kept out by the recovering Shane Duffy.

There are times when you say “good save” but know you would have criticised the keeper had the ball gone in.

Not this time – or on at least two other occasions.

Ryan told The Argus: “I think instincts took over. I have always said, and felt, in my career that, when the instincts kick in and you are reacting from them, it’s probably when you are really in the zone and playing your best footy.

“I came out and, from his (Mane’s) body language, I’ve seen him do it time and time again where they do these FIFA goals, where they square it up.

“I guess I had a feeling he was going to do it and I was on to it pretty quickly.

“Coupled with him under-hitting the pass a little bit to Salah, it probably gave me enough time to get there and, just as he has done all year, Duffers backed me up again with the clearance off the goal-line as well.”

Asked if he took any satisfaction from stellar individual display as his side were well beaten, Ryan laughed and replied: “The life of a goalkeeper, eh?

“Four goals and you manage to make a couple of saves so it’s a funny one.

“I guess you have got be realistic and realise you are human and you can’t stop everything, as much as you would like to.

“I think every goalkeeper would like to be the exception to the rule, that they can be the superhero and stop everything.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be but the best saves are always the ones you don’t expect to make.

“I think probably in that situation (the two-on-one), you probably would not expect the goalkeeper to come out on top or the defensive team to come on top.

“Thankfully I managed to scramble and Duffers managed to scramble as well to keep it away.”

Ryan has faced some good sides in his time, including Barcelona at the height of their powers.

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